Skip to main content

Summer Opportunities


What do you have planned for this summer? As college students, summer is one of the best times to get more involved and explore your interests all the while learning new skills, forming new connections, and strengthening your knowledge. From taking summer sessions as a way of staying on track or moving forward with your degree process to engaging in research and exploring different internships, there are many different opportunities that you can take advantage of as a way of enriching your undergraduate career experience!

With some classes only offered in certain quarters, a benefit that comes with taking summer classes is that you are able to fulfill the prerequisite of the course of your interest if there is any. With a variety of different classes and different sessions offered, ranging from general science series to breadth courses, you will surely be able to generate a summer class schedule that will be best for you and your current academic journey. Given the smaller class size, summer classes create a more intimate learning experience, as you will have ample opportunity to address your concerns and communicate your understanding of the instructed course material. With the opportunity of seeing the professor or instructor more frequently in comparison to the regular quarter during the academic year, you also have the chance to strengthen your rapport and relationship with them, which may be beneficial for you in the future. For more details on summer sessions and course offerings, visit https://summer.ucr.edu/.  

Interested in applying science lessons learned from lectures in a lab setting? Well, aside from summer sessions, there are many different research-focused programs that you can obtain hands-on experience in a lab setting. From RISE and MARC U STAR programs to MSRIP and IREU, there are various opportunities that you can be involved in research and learn about the translation of an idea into the real-world application through experiments and studies. Through your time assisting on research projects, not only will you strengthen your critical thinking skills and gain professional development, but you will also be able to foster and develop connections with the faculty mentor in charge of the lab, along with graduate students and other peers that are a part of the team.

Another great way of supplementing your education and further develop your interests in potential career aspirations is through internships and volunteer opportunities. Ranging from NASA and pharmaceutical companies to hospitals and other healthcare facilities, spending time completing an internship or dedicating your service to a volunteer opportunity will allow you to learn more about yourself, the work-life balance you prefer, and the demands, as well as the expectations of the profession of your interests. You may even find new hobbies or have a new consideration for a future career!

No matter how you decide to spend and use your summer, taking advantage of the time and opportunities will definitely enrich your experience as an undergraduate student and bring growth to different areas of your life academically, professionally, and personally. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Counseling Center & Online Services

As we are continuing to practice social distancing and self-isolation, spending a lot of time our time with our own thoughts can affect our wellbeing mentally and emotionally. Checking in with yourselves and your loved ones is important more so now than ever. Below are some resources and online services that may be helpful for you during this time. UCR's Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) are continuing to provide services virtually via TeleMental Health. Through this phone and secure videoconferencing service, you still have access to free, confidential, and professional mental health services. To learn more about how CAPS is operating virtually and the different types of services that the center is providing, visit  https://mentalhealth.ucr.edu/#message_to_our_students . Getting involved and staying connected to different opportunities on campus does not have to be restricted by social distancing. UCR's student well-being and health promotion department,...

UCR Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC)

  He llo Highlanders! This week's blog post will focus on the UCR Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC).  For more than 50 years, the Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC) has been dedicated to the mission of promoting an inclusive educational experience for UC Riverside students through the advocacy of equal access, disability and ability awareness, and empowerment. The  SDRC is designated to receive requests for accommodations, approve services, and coordinate support for students with disabilities to ensure access to the university's educational programs.  Students with disabilities are able to receive the appropriate accommodations , which include accomodations such as extra time on exams, priority registration, distraction-free testing environments, class notes through a note-taker, accessive/ assistive technology, and more.  A personal consultation allows the SDRC to individually tailor a plan to meet your disability-related needs, based on cu...

CNAS Undergraduate Academic Advising Center

Are you unsure of your term plan for the next quarter? Are you interested in pursuing a minor or another major? Do you want to generate a four-year course plan? All of the questions above and other inquiries about your academic career can be addressed and answered by your Academic Advisor ! As a CNAS student, you are assigned to an Academic Advisor who will work with you to make sure your academic progress towards your degree is on track, and your assigned Academic Advisor can be found on your Student Profile and the Degree Audit in R'Web. From concerns of taking a course or courses outside of UCR to the consideration of taking a leave of absence from the university, CNAS Academic Advisors are here to provide you the guidance and proper campus resources you need to better navigate your college degree path and the university as a whole.    Along with that, the advisors of the  CNAS Undergraduate Academic Advising Center also make sure you and other students ar...